Thursday, June 17, 2004
NEW COURSE ON BUSH OFFERED
By Stockton
Yesterday, Harvard announced it will be offering a fall semester course entitled, 'Bush and the English Language' the Wisdom of a President.
LB in '04 was lucky enough to interview the professor teaching the new course, Professor Walter Spivey. We talked to Professor Spivey, focusing on one particular Bush statement.
LB: Thank you for joining us, professor. Am I reading the Camp Lejeune quote correctly, professor? Is the President advocating a type of vicarious compassion?
Spivey: Precisiely. It really is a daring escape from conventional compassion.
LB: Essentially, we can come to the aid of an injured person, by hugging someone else?
Spivey: Exactly, and that is the daring part of this statement. Vicarious compassion. Say you know someone is hurting.
LB: Right?
Spivey: Hug your neighbor. The intimacy of the neighbor-hug is transfered to the injured person.
LB: It's more complicated than that, isn't it?
Spivey: Yes, there are other conditions precedent to vicarious compassion.
LB: The quote would indicate I can't hug just any neighbor.
Spivey: According to the President, it must be a neighbor in need. If it's not a neighbor in need, you could get a funny look, or....
LB: Pimp slapped?
Spivey: Or Pimp Slapped.
LB: So a happy, healthy neighbor won't do. Can I help my needy neighbor by actually hugging the needy neighbor or will my compassion automatically be transfered to a hurting person?
Spivey: Fascinating question. We just don't know yet.
LB: Fascinating. How about the following quote, Professor?
Spivey: Yeah...ummm... I don't know what the fuck he's talking about in that one.
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By Stockton
Yesterday, Harvard announced it will be offering a fall semester course entitled, 'Bush and the English Language' the Wisdom of a President.
LB in '04 was lucky enough to interview the professor teaching the new course, Professor Walter Spivey. We talked to Professor Spivey, focusing on one particular Bush statement.
We can help somebody who hurts by hugging a neighbor in need.
-- Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Apr. 4, 2003
LB: Thank you for joining us, professor. Am I reading the Camp Lejeune quote correctly, professor? Is the President advocating a type of vicarious compassion?
Spivey: Precisiely. It really is a daring escape from conventional compassion.
LB: Essentially, we can come to the aid of an injured person, by hugging someone else?
Spivey: Exactly, and that is the daring part of this statement. Vicarious compassion. Say you know someone is hurting.
LB: Right?
Spivey: Hug your neighbor. The intimacy of the neighbor-hug is transfered to the injured person.
LB: It's more complicated than that, isn't it?
Spivey: Yes, there are other conditions precedent to vicarious compassion.
LB: The quote would indicate I can't hug just any neighbor.
Spivey: According to the President, it must be a neighbor in need. If it's not a neighbor in need, you could get a funny look, or....
LB: Pimp slapped?
Spivey: Or Pimp Slapped.
LB: So a happy, healthy neighbor won't do. Can I help my needy neighbor by actually hugging the needy neighbor or will my compassion automatically be transfered to a hurting person?
Spivey: Fascinating question. We just don't know yet.
LB: Fascinating. How about the following quote, Professor?
The solid truth of the matter is, when you find -- if you want to help heal the hurt -- if you want to hurt people and help people in pain, the best way to do so is to call upon the great strength of the country, which is the compassion of our fellow Americans.
---Bentonville, Arkansas, Nov. 4, 2002
Spivey: Yeah...ummm... I don't know what the fuck he's talking about in that one.
